Lake of the Ozarks

John Hayes, 18, credits STEM programs in the St. Louis Greater Area Council with shaping his skills as he looks forward to starting college to work toward a pilot degree next fall. His Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony is next month.

The program provides a long-term look at water quality in some of Missouri’s most famous lakes. It will end in 2027 after a state agency will no longer provide federal funding.

The person was being treated at a St. Louis-area hospital after contracting the amoeba Naegleria fowleri, which is sometimes referred to as the “brain-eating amoeba” because of its catastrophic effects on the central nervous system.

The amoeba is a single-celled organism that lives in hot springs, lakes and other warm freshwater bodies. Infections are rare but nearly always fatal.

Amendment 5 will clear the way for a casino to be placed in a popular vacation spot if approved.

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft initially said that the plan didn’t receive enough signatures in Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District.

The Osage River Gaming & Convention Committee is asking a judge to reverse a decision by the Missouri secretary of state’s office that its initiative petition did not qualify for the statewide ballot because it was short on signatures.

Fundraising in the Republican and Democratic primaries for Missouri governor has exceeded $21 million, with the majority going to Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe. But the race for attorney general is also proving pricey.

If approved by Missouri voters, the development would include a hotel, convention center, restaurants and other attractions.

With more shoreline than the coast of California, the Lake of the Ozarks in mid-central Missouri is a popular tourist destination for land-locked Midwesterners. For decades, it's provided financial opportunities for locals and outside interests alike — but at what cost? The story of how this man-made body of water came to be involves corruption, jail time, communities torn apart, and displaced families.